Julie, a Goth's Valentine
by Kalen Bloodstone
Summary: COMPLETE... One-shot: The premiere of my Kate Daniels Work. - We find Julie once more at School, frivolously preparing for Valentines day. Black hearts, lipstick, and Horses have been edited out. Writer of Artemis F./Inheritance Cycle/Kate Daniels fandoms
1. Part One

**Julie, a Goth's Valentine**

**_~ Part One ~_**

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~ Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. ~ Albert Einstein ~

* * *

Julie, ran her fingers down the sides of her dress, mandatory to any student at the Macon Kao Arts Academy, smoothing out the smooth silk. The colors of the Academy were Naval blue and Military gray, and the mixture on a dress, however hard the students tried, made them look like a mixture of a Troll and Ogre all in one.

In their spare time, the girls spent most of the time looking for ways to liven the dresses up, from adding a sash, to wristbands for the Goth girls. Julie, was ever nearing the side of a Goth.

Julie walked out f the lavatory, directing her course to her room.

Her room, was very unlively, but it was inviting and made her feel slightly better then her normal self when not in Kate's company. Her walls, a dark Indigo; the Academy wouldn't grant her permission with the black paint. Her bedsheets, though, were quite black. Her comforter was frilled black lacing, covering a gray landscape underneath which was designed to look like a crescent moon, with a star border. Her windows and been blackened out by the best pair of blinds she'd ever had, and the carpet had been covered with as many black rugs as Julie could find.

A few figurines, multiple Gods, covered her dresser, with a black doily underneath them. Her closet, was a mess of black pajamas, obnoxious dresses, and her two pairs of "comfy" clothes.

It was nearly Valentines day, and the Academies director, a Miss Citlalli, had given the Children three days to prepare for their annual Valentines Ball. They had known it was coming, and almost every girl had picked an outfit, asked someone out on a date; been denied, and asked another, until the process repeated itself as needed, until most of them had dates.

Julie, on the other hand, had not yet asked someone, or been asked, and with no need to ready herself; she already had her black combat boots, black running slacks, and a black blouse.

To spruce it up for Valentines, Julie had written to Kate to send her a few items of clothing and the jewelry from her room. It had come in a nifty box the next day, her amethyst teardrop earrings, her charm necklace, and a hip-to-ankle length sarong.

She had also written to Saimen; an enchanted black onyx ring for Kate's e-mail address? Deal. It had come in a black velvet box, with a pretty pink bow which expressed enough thanks for Julie.

Julie couldn't wait to get out of her dress, she had just finished the last class of the day, Archery.

Along the way, she exchanged glances nervously with the other girls in her wing, the South wing. The West and North wing belonged to the boys, but the South and East were all for the girls, and it showed. Along the hallways were fluttering banners, expressing themselves through their calligraphy type and bold red backing.

Normally, portraits of fine ladies drinking their tea in dresses, hats, and companions around them occupied the walls, but for the Holiday's such as this, they were stored away for a time.

Rarely, very rarely, were the students allowed to wear their own clothing, this was one of those rarity types of days, and Julie wouldn't waist another minute within her clothes.

At coming to her room, room M16, which often enough was laughed upon by the other girls, Julie left no time to small trifles, and closing her door went about undressing. Ruffling her long blonde hair, with her _respectable_ blue streaks, Julie hopped over to her closet, the dress already halfway down her knees, and had just reached down to pick up her combat boots, when she heard a rustling; followed by a cough.

Startled, Julie jumped up, looking frantically for any weapon available; picking up a figuring, she turned to meet the cough.

Dorian Forester, a medmage on the varsity football team, was sitting on the edge of her bed, covering his face respectfully in the corner of her comforter.

Julie's eyes transformed from her usual dark brown to fierce ebony, fueling her fury.

"What are you doing in my room!" she screamed, loud enough for the rest of the wing to hear her words. She stamped her feet, grabbing at a towel which was hung to dry on her floor. Covering her body away from view, Julie screamed the question again. "What are you doing in my room!"

Dorian, face reddened, looked up from his comforting comforter corner hesitantly. No other male in the school would be so honorable; Julie was given the reputation of an off-limits chick with amazing powers, hidden life, and a dark secret. Despite her Aunts flare for a show, it had helped only enough to get Julie into a few groups of friends.

"I came to ask you something, Ciara told me to wait in your room," spoke the Irish medmage, with the obvious accent and fair hair. Bright green eyes, pale skin, blue jeans and a gray track shirt completing his description.

"I'm sorry- I swear I didn't see anything."

With her sudden fury lessening, Julie started to blush herself; hiding before a towel with one of the hottest men on campus in her room.

"I should go-" he started, standing up.

"No, no. What was it?" Julie asked, even though she thought she knew what was about to happen.

"It's stupid, really, I'm just going to go . . ." Walking to door, Dorian was blocked from his path.

"You've been in my room for who knows how long, doing who knows what, and you've almost seen me without my clothes; your not getting out without an explanation." Barring his way, Julie held her position, one learned by Kate; legs apart, arms crossed; her favorite copykate stance.

"Stupid, just stupid," muttered the Irishmen, shifting his weight from foot to foot every few moments. Sweat broke out on his forehead.

"What?" she demanded.

"I came to ask you to the dance," Dorian whispered. "I came to ask you to the dance," he repeated with more bravado in his voice; more noticeable even though the volume wasn't there.

Not as all startled, Julie kept herself from skipping around the room screaming "I got a date, I got a date, I got a date . . ."

"I accept," she spoke, her voice controlled.

"Right," Dorian responded awkwardly, "Meet you for lunch tomorrow to figure it all out?"

Nodding, Julie stepped aside to let him leave, while she silently screamed her glee. Forgetting she was no longer clothed, and hidden behind a towel by instinct, she crept into the hall to find one of her friends, anyone who she could tell about her date.

She was met in the hall, a cluster of girls crowding a man; Dorian.

"What did you do to her," accused Julie's friend Kel.

Dorian was huddled against a wall, trying not to cower in freight of my friend's determination. Ciara was nowhere in the crowd, she wouldn't- couldn't help.

"He did nothing." Julie said, coming to his rescue.

Everyone faced her, their eyes blazing with hatred.

"We heard the way you screamed," said Alia, not so much a friend as "a don't kill me" type. Next to her was Anastasia, Julie's friend and the only Goth present.

"Julie, where are your clothes?"

The blush returned again, and Julie once again notice the lack there of.

"Um- my room," mumbled Julie.

"Go change, we can deal with Dorian for you," Anastasia stated as well as commanded.

"No, no guys, he's fine- really he is."

No one believed her, but in the end they left. Julie shrank back to her room as fast as possible, ready for a shower, which would be soon followed by her clothes!

* * *

After she slipped her black onyx ring onto her finger, enchanted to help her in hand-to-hand combat when needed, Julie looked into her mirror.

A silk blouse, black of course, with a swervey design in silver at her waist. Black running slacks, half hidden by her hip-to-ankle sarong, with moon crescents etched in silver thread periodically threaded into the fabric of smooth silk. Her charm necklace, was filled with a few bottle caps from her old apartment, which was accompanied by a crescent moon in the middle, with random charms which according to Kate would her with something, but Julie had forgotten their meaning and was lost in their simple elegance. Her combat boots, black and shiny, were laced up the top. Her earrings in place, she was happy. Totally transformed.

Short lived.

A nock came from the door, and in stepped Dana, a Welsh cheerleader with hair fairer then almost anyone's at the Academy.

"Aunt Hal wants you to help set up the Ball in the gymnasium, can you?" she asked.

"I guess," Julie sighed. Short lived indeed.

Walking through the hallways, I could see other kids in an assortment of clothing.

Directed to help the techies with the DJ station, Julie sat down to pick the remix tapes. Thankfully for the rest of the Academy besides the Goths, Julie was partnered with Kirin, an over the top enthusiastic which made not just Julie want to hurl, but also her best friends. So overall, their music would be battling each other the whole night.

* * *

Julie, once again looked into the mirror. Clothing; pristine, spirit; pristine, character; pristine. Julie was ready; she had gotten over her giddy nature the night before, where Kirin took the fun away from her spirit as they finished the mix-tape.

Tonight, was the night of the dance, and Julie would not be late. With her corsage clipped at her waist, a black rose, right above the knot, Julie was confidant in her appearance. She had chosen, after about seven hours of long work, to keep her hair the way it usually was. It ran past her shoulders, tousled, in its mixture of blue and bright yellow.

Walking through the halls, Julie eventual emerged into the gymnasium. Even though she had been there the whole two days before, Julie was kept mainly in the DJ's corner, and had little time to take in her surroundings. And then at the nighttime, she was either too lazy or tired to pay attention to the walls.

Now, as she gazed around the room, she was disappointed at some features, and surprised and glad at others.

The walls, were covered with red paper streamers, flapping and twirling in the course of the fan. The floor around the dance floor was littered with red, pink, and white confetti, and the DJ's platform was lined with white streamers and confetti, along with some prestigiously placed vases of flowers, likely fake.

A punch bowl was the main attraction of the snack stand, also filled with cookies, chips, and chocolates of the season.

They even had a paper mecha, red of course, banner. That would've taken forever, and probably involved all of Art class's people.

Julie spotted Dorian, in a white tux with a black boutonnière as well, in order to match Julie's corsage. His hair was slicked back, until it stuck to the nape of his neck in a slight curl. His hair was normally scruffy and wavy, this was a totally different effect. It was a mixture of bad boy and the cute factor.

Accompanied by a group of his friends and their dates, Dorian came over to Julie, taking his hand in his and leading her to his friends.

"Jordan, Cody, Joana, ladies, meet Julie," introduced Dorian. "Julie, meet Jordan, Cody, ladies, my friends on the team." Everyone snickered at this comment, and Julie thought they were laughing at her until she remembered their conversation. He left out Joana, and had introduced the ladies, _I get it, took me long enough,_ Julie thought.

"How's it going?" asked Joana, trying to direct the attention onto someone else, it half worked.

"Fine, thank you," replied Julie, suppressing a laugh. "Just fine."

"Would you like some punch?" asked Dorian, getting Julie's full attention.

"That would be nice." Julie would've killed herself if she had said _lovely,_ so she left it out of the sentence. Leaving her along with his friends, Julie scanned the crowd fleetingly for any of her friends; Alia, Kel, Anastassia, even Kirin might have helped in this awkward situation.

"So," started Cody, "Dorian told us about your conversation heading up to him asking you out."

_I bet so did half or more of the school did too_, Julie thought. Joana and Jordan simultaneously jabbed Cody in the ribs; Cody wasn't know for his brain, we'll leave it at that.

"Did he," Julie replied, restraining the venom in her voice and coiling it away for later.

"Not the way I would've chosen if I could," remarked Dorian, as he returned with two plastic champagne glasses filled with the red liquid. "I think a talk by the fountain would've been _better._"

"We don't have a fountain at the Academy," Julie impulsively responded, then cowered slightly from the attention she had just earned.

"Really, why not. Every school has a fountain. Why not an Academy?"

"I don't know," Julie responded, glad that it was a fast conversation and not a debate.

Julie was quite conscious of the eyes at her back; what did she have that the others didn't, was the main question on their minds.

Dorian was the perfect gentleman, and despite a few irregularities with the law, in his youth, Dorian was the perfect child. He got good grades, stayed in school and trained his powers as a medmage till they were fine-tuned on any new subject he was given. He played a sport, had a well standing family; somewhere in the Legal system.

But Julie, she was a gutter dog, not more then a few skills. She had medium grades, not hanging by a thread, even if she could improve. C+ average, with a few B-'s now and then as a treat. "So why was she special," was frequently addressed by the other girls.

They may someday know; if they lay their vanity aside.

The rest of the night contained a mixture of dancing, staying on the sidelines conversing and eating, and talking to acquaintances. Mainly Dorian's, Julie was lost in their names. Though on occasion, a mutual friend or even one of Julies Goth friends came by to talk.

The Valentines Day Ball was basically the Academies prom, so as a prom does; they have a King and Queen. Unfortunately, Dorian and Julie came in second; but only by a hairs breath.

Kel and her date Andre won, and together they were _anointed_, with graffiti falling from behind them and a twirl of a pink wand which looked like it came right out of a Barbie commercial.

* * *

Continue to part two . . .


	2. Part Two

**Julie, a Goth's Valentine**

**_~ Part Two ~_**

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It was half past eleven o'clock, the DJ had started reruns of his mix-tape; thank god. The requests which the people had were atrocious. It was all preppy bands, none that even came close to Nightwish or Behemoth.

Half or more of the people had left; saying goodbye to their friends and leaving the gymnasium. Kel and Neal had left about an hour before, and curfew was being stretched _very_ thin.

After yet another glass of punch, Julie and Dorian had settled down by a group of Dorian's friends, enjoying their last few minutes of the Ball.

"I better be leaving," announced Julie, standing up and sipping the last few ounces of her punch.

"Oh," started Dorian, standing as well, "I'll walk you back."

Exiting the gymnasium, Julie led the way back to her room. The hallway was dark, as they reached the South wing, and Julie fumbled around for her door handle.

"Goodnight," Julie said hesitantly, her voice echoing through the hallway.

"Wait," asked Dorian. "I just want you to know; I'd like to extend this into a relationship. I don't want this to be the last of our encounters."

Julie should've been happy, but she had to be cautious; for all she knew this was a pity thing for him, a charity.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Dorian responded.

"Why me?" the hallway was soon immensed in silence.

"I guess," Dorian started, "because of a dare . . ."

Julie was about to protest, fling herself into her room, and have a good cry; when a pair of arms were placed themselves around her waist.

"But!" he started, "I had a good time. Plus, it's not like you aren't engagingly beautiful." The breath, warm and tingling on her neck, made Julie squirm out of his grasp.

"Come on," Dorian muttered.

Forcing herself to face him, Julie leveled their gaze. Her eyes had once again been filled with their furious ebony. Dorian would either give her a good reason to stay, or a reason to prolong a kick to the family jewels.

"You jerk. You couldn't have lied to me! And just ended it. I don't always like feeling like yesterdays trash."

Not startled by this outburst, Dorian tried to keep his anger down. Dorian never liked his pride injured, but if it helped him get Julie as an actual girlfriend . . .

"I admit that what I did was bad, terrible-"

"No shit," muttered Julie, halting his speech.

"But," continued Dorian, "after tonight, I've gotten to know you. Your not fake. Your not pretending to be something else like the other girls have."

"Yeah, that's because I didn't take this on a bet; and I don't succumb to others people's opinions." This, was not entirely true, but Julie deserved the words after what had happened to her.

"I completely understand that; Jordan and Cody are quite intrusive and they like to force things on people. Joana hardly hangs out with us anymore, and I'm starting to have my own doubts. Come on, just another chance?"

"No." And with that, Julie escaped the hallway to cry into her billow.

* * *

Morning came, and so did an odd smell. Flowers. Julie didn't like flowers much, but on occasion she's partake in a particular perfume; but this smell was overpowering.

Getting up from her bed, still dressed in the clothes she had the night before worn, Julie headed to the smell. It brought her to her door.

A bottle of perfume rested on the floor beyond her, maybe a foot beyond the door at the most. Under it was a note; which Julie quickly read;

_Sorry for my foolishness, accept my apology, Dorian._

Crumpling the note, Julie brought it to the sink of her bathroom. She lit an incense stick, vanilla raspberry, and then burnt the note in the sink. Collecting the perfume from the hallway, Julie threw it in her regift pile. She watched the note, a stiff index card, burn slowly, until it was coals.

Throwing off her clothes, letting them sit on top of a pile of dresses to be washed, Julie stepped into the shower. Low and behold, bath soaps in a carafe rested by her usual soap. Another note;

_Please don't burn me; I'm sorry, Dorian._

_Fucker,_ thought Julie,_ he's been in my room and he's stalking me._

Stepping momentarily out of the shower, Julie lit it on fire and as she had the last, watched it burn away. The incense would be reason enough for the smoke, Julie wouldn't get in trouble for it.

As for the bath soaps, Julie was a child for coconut; this one wouldn't go to waste.

After a therapeutic shower, with incense and coconut bodywash; Julie dried herself off slowly. Walking to her closet, Julie grabbed the dress farthest from the door.

As she was about to put it on, a note fluttered to the ground.

_How many did the fucker plant,_ Julie thought, subsiding the urge to blast some heavy metal. Last time she had, Miss Citalli had stormed into her room and taken the CD; Julie didn't want that to happen again. Picking up the note, out of curiosity then anything else, Julie read on;

_Oh my Juliet, my Dear Juliet; roses are red, violets blue; I've an apology, maybe two. Meet me in the courtyard at noon; for my aching heart, Dorian._

_Fuck the romantic poetry_¸ thought Julie,_ I can deal without him_. That was when she saw the third present; licorice.

Only Kate and Derrek knew she liked the thing; it was her comfort food. _Damn him,_ she thought,_ I can't deny licorice._

Getting ready as fast as she could, Julie went to the messhall, picking a granola bar and a fruit salad, Julie went to get a cup of coffee. The only thing that consoled her more then licorice was coffee; probably some deep sentimentally thing were it reminded her of Kate. Having it black, Julie skipped onto her first class instead of waiting around to talk to her friend.

They noticed her detachment from the group, even the Goth kids saw today was not the time to ask her for help with their homework.

The first few classes of the day, Myth-in-tell day at Mythic studies; calculus at mathematics class; and her own tutoring in her; Julie found that the day went by too fast. Other's would say to slow, but Julie couldn't slow it down enough.

Telling of a short experience during her time with Kate, something everyone anticipated, even the teacher Mr. Mathews wanted to know what she had to say. Then calculus, her best subject ironically, went fast, even her training went fast.

Midday arrived, or rather _noon_ as said in the note, and Julie headed to the courtyard; doubtlessly it would be filled with teenagers eating their lunches in the cool breeze.

There he was, blue jeans and a gray trackshirt; god was it so unfair that the guys wore what they normally would. His hair was it's usual curls.

"So," Julie said, "you said something of an apology?"

"Yes," replied Dorian, "I'm completely sorry for my actions the night before and the two nights preceding them. It was scandalous what I did to you, and I accept full blame."

"As you well should." Julie threateningly replied. "and you said_ maybe two_?"

"Oh that, I just needed something to rhyme with violet. That was all of my apology . . ." poshly replied the Irish teenager.

Julie huffed, frustrated. She knew what she had to do. And Dorian actually meant what he was saying; he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of finding all of those things the night before if he had not.

"First then, I accept your apology. And second; alright, we can date. We'll take things slow though, and-"

Kissing her, locking his lips passionately around hers and holding her head in his hands, Dorian replied, "Anything, anything at all."

Taking her face away from his, her face still dreamy, Julie nodded. _Damn is he good at that,_ she thought fleetingly.

"Right- I'm gonna go for a bit." And with that, Julie ran all the way back to her room, slamming the door shut behind her, rummaging through her top drawer. After retrieving her phone,_ strictly_ for emergencies, Julie hit one on the speed dial.

"What?" Kate's groggy voice rang through the speaker. Either Kate had been up late drinking, doubtfully, or up late for the Order, Julie didn't care; she had to tell her Aunt.

"Boy do I have a story for you-" started Julie.

"Can it wait, I just-"

"No!" shouted Julie. "Now listen. You see there's this guy, right, Dorian . . ."

* * *

Normally, I don't swear in my stories, but I think this is what Julie would've done. Please give me feedback on this story, I've just starting this fandom and would like some constructive criticism more then thousands of OMG's. I'll probably be publishing more stories in this fandom, so keep a look out.

My pen name may change soon, just for your knowledge.

Also written this Valentines Day:

Misc Books, Musings: Poetry . . . My minds work at a new task; let me explain. I'm a Writer, not a Poet; yet this is a trick I need to teach myself, it's worth a look at the very least. ~ Rated: K+ ~ Addition to musings, titled "Carefree,"

Artemis Fowl, A Valentines Day Special, Brazil: A Valentines Day special mini-series, Minerva/Artemis shipping. ~ Rated: T, for shipping ~

~ Kalen Bloodstone ~


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